Thursday 7th March saw all Year 8 students at Woodham Academy developing their skills in the work place. Students worked alongside the Durham Education Business Partnership to work in teams as part of the interactive workshop entitled ‘Duck Day’. Students in each team were allocated a role within their company ranging from accountancy to sales and marketing. ‘it was a fun day ’ said Christi Jemmerson and Mia Gash, Year 8 students at the school, ‘we had to make merchandise and work in a team’. The teams had to present their learning to the rest of their year group in a bid to be crowned the winner of the day.

The day forms a part of a much wider strategy that Woodham Academy is taking towards careers education, with a particular focus on STEM subjects. The strategy has been developed in line with the government’s Gatsby Benchmarks which outline the stance schools should be taking on careers education. ‘Opportunities to work alongside companies through work placement or as part of the curriculum are a big part of life here at Woodham Academy’ said Dave Walker, the curriculum leader for careers. All students taking vocational subjects, including Engineering and Health and Social Care, take part in relevant work experience. Last summer students taking Engineering at Woodham Academy achieved outstanding results.